Unemployment rate in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Unemployment rate was 3.54 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
3.54
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
127th
of 186 countries
All-time high
3.69
in 2021
All-time low
2.85
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea stood at 3.54.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea peaked at 3.69 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.85, in 1991.
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ranks 127th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.85 | — |
| 1992 | 2.88 | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 2.98 | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 3.09 | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 3.11 | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 3.15 | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 3.25 | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 3.46 | +6.4% |
| 1999 | 3.67 | +6.0% |
| 2000 | 3.65 | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 3.68 | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 3.64 | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 3.67 | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 3.62 | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 3.58 | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 3.55 | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 3.55 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 3.48 | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 3.48 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 3.42 | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 3.52 | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 3.54 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 3.57 | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 3.51 | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 3.52 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 3.57 | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 3.5 | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 3.41 | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 3.44 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 3.62 | +5.4% |
| 2021 | 3.69 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 3.46 | -6.4% |
| 2023 | 3.46 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 3.54 | +2.2% |
| 2025 | 3.54 | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.16 | 2.85 | 3.67 | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.59 | 3.48 | 3.68 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.5 | 3.41 | 3.57 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.55 | 3.46 | 3.69 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
More work & labour data for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 17,790 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 82.13 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.2604 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 77.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 91.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 89.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 81.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 87.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 78.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 86.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea?
- Unemployment rate in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was 3.54 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 3.69 in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.85 in 1991.
- How does Democratic People’s Republic of Korea rank for unemployment rate?
- Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ranks 127th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Democratic People’s Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).